I have started changing my program every week (with the help of a trainer). Sometimes I change only 1 or 2 exercises from the week before, sometimes instead of doing triceps & chest I will do triceps & back.
Just wondering if some of you change things up like this every week or do you rather stick to a program for 3-4 months.
Im sure changing things up all the time at the gym is ideal but is it worth the hassle, of writing a new program every week or improvising at the gym?
Im talking from a bodybuilders point of view, in terms of keeping everything proportionate and symetric (think Frank Zane).
I use the Ian King model of a 3 day split and 4 weeks on a program then I take a week off lifting and then start a new program changing reps, grips, and lifts. I use that 4 week period to lift heavier everytime I do a lift. I tend to max out after 4 weeks. Thats when I give my body a rest and change things up. How can you measure your progress if your changing every week ??? I would wait until you stall then change it up.
Change is GOOD to much change = bad. For th first few weeks your largely just adapting to the exercise then real progress etc strength muscle begins. Now a little variance grip etc all cool. but the basic template should be close to the same.
as you get advanced etc sure a bit more swapping can be done but your still doing a lot of the same things. if your doing totally different stuff each time you hit the gym your constyantly not aquainted with the exercsie the loads needed and just burning energy trying to get going not making progress,
Depends on your goals. I found I made my best squat, bench press, chinup gains when I stuck to the same movements for a few months.
Now I prefer to do somethinf different almost every time, but in a similar split for maybe 3 weeks. So its push pull for a few weeks then it might me upper lower, etc.
I would stick to the main horizontal press and vertical pull, but I change rows and vert presses. I guess I want to get better at these rather than overhead presses right now.
1st workout: A B C D
2nd workout: A B C E
3rd workout: A B F E
4th workout: A G F E
5th workout: H G F E
so on
keep in mind to always do a given exercise of a number of days which is equal to the number of exercises of the given program, so that everything is beautifully simmetric
You can stay on a program until your progress stalls. That may vary from person to person and exercise to exercise. Instaed of focusing on many different exercises, you can also alter the rep ranges and sets.
Check out some of the periordazation articles on here and make out a program ahead of time for several months based on your goals.
Changing you program too often can hamper your goals also.